Who are you? How do you want to change the world?

Who am I? Well to start my name is Patty Fontanazza and I’m from York, PA-like the candy York Peppermint Pattie, which coincidentally is my favorite. My favorite color is pink and I love crafts and baking. I have been to Disney World over 30 times and some may think its obsessive, but what can I say my family has mickey mouse silverware and every Disney animated movie ever made. Yes I’m obsessed but in a good way. I actually hope to work in event planning for Disney some day to recreate some of the seasonal themed events that I’ve enjoyed over the years. But to continue, in high school I ran track and cross country and pole vaulted. I chose Ohio State because I wanted to go to a big school with a great football tradition. Plus mirror lake and the oval are amazing. I’m a second year Strategic Communications major with a minor in Design. I joined Alpha Gamma Delta last winter and absolutely love all of my sisters and the experiences I have had with them.

As far as how I want to change the world, my idea is a pretty simple one. Sorry to bring up Disney again, but the draw of Disney as the “Happiest Place on Earth”, especially for kids, has always had me thinking about the less fortunate children in the world who don’t experience anything like it. I’m not talking about kids who’s parents decide to never take them to Disney, I’m talking about orphans and kids of poverty or of troubled inner city families who are all, in most circumstances, forced to grow up way too fast. I volunteered at an art gallery in high school and we would do weekly art activities with city school children. The happiness they got from making something of their own and being carefree for just an hour each week was awesome to see. To give kids some of their childhood back I think it would be great to run different free programs after school, on weekends, and even a summer camp in all different areas. They can do crafts, play with toys and games, run outside and do other simple activities while interacting with one another. Just allowing them to take away outside stresses and focus on being playful, imaginative, and innocent kids.

And just because you probably weren’t getting sick of Disney already here’s a clip of a commercial for the year of a million dreams:

This just makes me think of how doing simple things for kids (like giving them hats or costumes) seems to make a world of difference to them. If it could be possible to give simple things and opportunities to kids in need then their lives and futures would be much better.